mazel

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Pronunciations

mazel (MAH-zull) listen

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Definitions

  • n. Luck.

  • interj. Congratulations.

  • n. (biblical) A constellation, astrological sign; astrological influence.

  • n. Fate, destiny.

  • n. (Jewish mysticism) One of two parts of the soul which is subconscious and exists outside of one's body.

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Example Sentences

  • "We've never had any mazel with that Volskwagen" (Glinert)

  • After someone announces good news: "I wish you much mazel and hatzlocha."

  • After someone announces good news: "Mazel!" [short for mazel tov]

  • "I finally got the pickle jar open!" "Mazel!" [cheerful but mildly mocking tone]

  • Text message exchange among Jews in Los Angeles: "I just experienced my first earthquake." "Mazels!"

  • "Do the stars control us? Are we under a mazel?" (source)

  • "There is a discussion in the Talmud about whether or not a Jew is subject to mazel, that is, destiny." (source)

  • "While the gemara discusses whether or not there is mazel (astrological influence) for the Jewish people, it seems clear to all of the classical sources (besides the Rambam who viewed it as nonsense) that mazel is a spiritual reality which definitely does affect the Jewish people, along with the entire creation." (source)

  • "The fact that a person knows the existence of G‑d with an innate awareness (not an intellectual one) is because the mazal 'sees' G‑d. Additionally, the mazal influences the person in many other ways, but always subconsciously." (source)

  • "The fact that a person knows the existence of G‑d with an innate awareness (not an intellectual one) is because the mazal 'sees' G‑d. Additionally, the mazal influences the person in many other ways, but always subconsciously." (source)

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Languages of Origin

  • Textual Hebrew
  • Yiddish
  • Modern Hebrew
  • Ladino
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Etymology

  • TH מזל mazál > Y מזל mazl, L mazal, MH מַזָּל⁩ mazál

      • Who Uses This

      • Religious: Jews who are engaged in religious observance and have some Jewish education
      • Orthodox: Jews who identify as Orthodox and observe halacha (Jewish law)
      • Jews: Jews of diverse religious backgrounds and organizational involvements
      • Younger: Jews in their 30s or younger
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      Regions

      • North America
      • Great Britain
      • South Africa

      Dictionaries

      • The New Joys of Yiddish, by Leo Rosten and Lawrence Bush (New York, 2003[1968]).
      • Yiddish and English: A Century of Yiddish in America, by Sol Steinmetz (Tuscaloosa, 1986).
      • The JPS Dictionary of Jewish Words, by Joyce Eisenberg and Ellen Scolnic, (Philadelphia, 2001).
      • The Joys of Hebrew, by Lewis Glinert (New York, 1992).
      • Frumspeak: The First Dictionary of Yeshivish, by Chaim Weiser (Northvale, 1995).
      • Dictionary of Jewish Usage: A Popular Guide to the Use of Jewish Terms, by Sol Steinmetz (Lanham, MD, 2005).
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      Alternative Spellings

      mazels, mazl, mazal, mazzel

Notes

  • The "luck" usage is common among Orthodox Jews, and the "short for mazel tov" usage is common among young Jews, as a Jewish instance of slang abbreviations. "Mazels" is common among young Jews, especially women. What Happens Live with Andy Cohen featured a segment: "Mazel of the day" (alongside "Jackhole of the day"), where "mazel" is used as short for "mazel tov" (congratulations).

    In Biblical Hebrew, mazal refers to a constellation of stars (associated with idol worship). "Through the influence of astrology, the term came to be associated with a person's fate... and fortune" (Steinmetz). For more information about this usage, see Mazalot.

    plural: 'mazalot'

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